Live bait containers conventionally used by fishermen consist of a bucket into which water and live bait may be introduced. Some bait containers of this type additionally include small battery powered air compressors whereby compressed air may be pumped through a tube into the bottom of the bucket for aerating the water within the bucket and thus increasing the life expectancy of the live bait while in the bucket. However, small motorized air compressors of this type require a storage battery as a source of electrical power and not all fishing boats are provided with storage batteries such as those used to start inboard or inboard/outboard engines or to power electric trolling motors. In addition, these small battery powered air compressors are subject to frequent failure and cause undesirable drain on the associated storage batteries.
Accordingly, a need exists for a bait container which may be used by fishermen and is constructed in a manner whereby ambient water may be taken into the bait container while the latter is stationary in the water and whereby ambient water may be caused to be admitted into the container by a plurality of jets of water during trolling fishing operations.
Various forms of bait containers including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 986,229, 2,834,145, 3,009,281, 3,036,400, 3,304,645, 3,593,453, 3,728,812, 4,019,274, 4,110,931, 4,260,070, 4,297,804 and D 235,205.